Thursday, October 25, 2007

Jambalaya

This comes from a host of online recipes I have gathered in the last 6 months. Most of the ingredients are common to each recipe, and at this point, I just do my own thing... (this recipe should easily serve 10 people)

1) In a large (the large part is important here because there are a lot of ingredients and when you add the rice, the whole thing will grow!) pot over medium heat, brown 1 pound chopped, skinless/boneless, chicken. Remove and set aside.2) In the same pot, brown 1/2 pound pork sausage. Pour out the grease. Set meat aside on a paper towel to collect extra grease.3) In same pot, brown 4 links of andouille sausage, chopped. Remove and set aside with other meat.4) In same pot, add 2 tbsp EVOO and 2 Tbsp butter. Add 2-3 white/yellow onions chopped. Add 4 stalks of celery, chopped. Add 1 green bell pepper, chopped. Add 4 green onions chopped. Add 4-7 cloves of garlic, chopped. (FYI--garlic is like salt in that the more you eat it, the more *immune* your palate becomes, thus requiring more of it in order to taste it, so if you hardly eat garlic, you probably only need a little, but if you eat it a lot, then you will need more to have the desired taste effect. Kapeesh?!? on an obvious but different note, unlike the health risks of eating lots of salt, garlic is actually good for you!)5) Add 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp garlic salt, and 1Tbsp salt (all seasonings should be to taste, these measurements are only approximations.) Cook covered until translucent/semi-soft. (5-10 minutes)6) Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, 2.5 cups of white rice, and all the meat. Mix well. Cover and cook for roughly 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.7) It is finished when the rice is cooked through, (i.e., no longer crunchy).8) Serve hot with rolls or cornbread. Greens (collard) if you like, and preferably sweet tea!